The book is empathetic, brilliantly constructed and unlikely to be surpassed as a document of what happened in Northern Ireland and how sectarian violence echoes long after the fighting has stopped.

Once the war started, the government placed home rule on the statute book ... in Irish history. Sinn Féin obliterated the Irish Party by winning 73 of the 105 seats available in Ireland.

It turned into much more — a book that navigated through the history of Northern Ireland from the late 60s to the present day. One that gave some context to the stories. A narrative that focused on ...